Child of the Unexpected
by Akheilos and Delphin Inc
Summary: Can you say I'm troubled? Yeah, pretty much. My whole life is troubled. Seriously, every where I go, I seem to cause trouble. Just my luck. Oh, yeah, guess what, my life gets even more 'troubled' when I get claimed. As I said, just my luck.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so, as you might have noticed, I am taking a break from the promised prequel (that is still coming! Don't worry!) of my NCIS series. Well, I just felt like saying that and let's get on with the story :) Oh yeah, disclaimer for this chapter and all chapters to come: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYPIANS: ! Seriously, I don't.**

PROLOGUE

I looked up as I heard the bell ringing, signalling that someone had just entered my shop. I smiled, and thought of the day my first costumer entered _Hellman's Hunting Equipment_. I looked up from the counter to see a boy of about fourteen standing there.

He had medium length, badly cut brown hair that reminded me of my mom's caramel (when it was burnt) and his skin of when she finally managed to make perfect caramel (I hate to say, but it tasted like crap). His eyes were dark blue and he had dark rings under them (like I had when I was in college). He had a metal chain necklace on, which I thought weird for a guy, but I didn't judge my costumers.

I couldn't help but notice his strange clothing though. He had on dark, worn out jeans with holes above his knees and the ends were coming loose. He also had on a plain black t-shirt, something I had seen on lots of boys his age who walked past my window. I thought all boys his age would be wearing shirts with something illegible written on them or so. Apparently, I was mistaken. He reminded me painfully of my own son, who had just gone to college.

"Can I help you, son?" I asked, smiling.

He nodded. "I need a bow, arrows and a hunting knife. Can you help me find something?" He asked. His voice was smooth. It made me want to agree with him. Weird. I shook off the feeling and replied, "Well of course I can help you, sonny. I have the best models you'll get around here. Now, what kind of bow do you want? Recurve or compound? Are you left or right handed?"

"I'd prefer a left handed compound bow. Preferably one that shoots accurately and is good for hunting," he answered.

"Brilliant," I smiled. "I may have the perfect bow for you."

I led him over to the wall on the left side of the door where I kept my left handed bows. I pulled one off the wall and gave it to him.

"That's the Bronze Wolf 'Whisper' Left Hand Draw Weight Compound Bow. It is light and the draw string is tight, which makes it aim with deadly accuracy if you're good enough. How long have you been hunting, son?"

"Ten years," he answered, pulling the draw string way back, making a perfect hunter figure. I could tell that he wasn't lying when he said 'ten years.' "What arrows would you recommend with this bow? And what tips? And what knife?" He asked. Damn, he really reminded me of my son. No wonder I called him 'son' and 'sonny.'

"Well, the arrows that go best with this bow are the Bronze Wolf ACC Carbon Alloy arrows. They are perfectly balanced and are made for this bow."

I handed him a package of thirty arrows from the wall. He put one in its place, aimed at the bulls eye behind my desk (mind you that that is about 30 feet) and shot. The arrow landed dead center. I stared at him. He really was good.

"Any arrow tips to this?" He asked.

"Uh, yes, yes," I stammered. "The Metal Piercer 3 Blade Broadheads. I'll go get them for you."

I got him the tips from the back of the store.

When I got back, he had one last request.

"Is there a knife to this set?"

"Yes. The Bronze 216 Special Bowie Blade Hunting Knife, right over there," I said, pointing over to the knives hanging on a rack on the opposite wall. As he went over to get the knife and look at it, I went back to the counter. After a few minutes, I heard the unmistakable sound of the bells over the door as it opened and closed. Shocked, I ran to the front of the store, where I found a note and a stack of gold coins.

_Kind sir, I am sorry that I do not have normal money to pay for the equipment. All I have are these. Take them to your nearest jeweller and ask how much they are worth. When they ask where you got them, say that you are an archaeologist and the agency allowed you to keep them. They are pure gold. Happy living!_

_-Aaron_

I grinned. Yes, this boy, Aaron, really did remind me of my son. Even leaving the drachmas behind. Just like him.

**Okay, so if you want to see what Aaron looks like, well, I kinda draw characters, so here is the link: ****.com/#/d2xe87q**

**Anyway, tell me what you think! I will (try to) update as much as possible, and yeah. Review is all I can think of : ) **


	2. Chapter 2

The Sphinx lunged at me, leaving a deep and long scratch up my left arm.

"Motherf*cker!" I yelled at her, trying to control the bleeding where she had hit my pulse. If only I had brought the bow and arrows that I had bought/stolen earlier that night. I don't know how, but I had found the coins in my pocket, and, being an impulsive kid, I had left the shopkeeper a note.

"Oh, my poor little boy, did I hurt you?" The Sphinx asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I let out a low growl and got ready for another attack from her. This time I saw her coming. She lunged at me, again from the left, but I sidestepped, sending her paw crashing through a glass window of a shop next to us. The alarm went off. 'Crap,' I thought to myself. I didn't have much time left.

The Sphinx yelled in pain and fury, and jumped at me blindly, but I was ready. I had taken my small metal necklace off and began turning it faster and faster, until it made a high whizzing noise. When she was maybe a foot away from me, I dived to the right, to where her injured paw was and flung the necklace around it, hoping that Sphinxes also had their pulse where humans did. Luckily for me, they did.

The Sphinx screamed, put there was nothing she could do. She got weaker instantly, and in a matter of seconds, she disintegrated into fine black ashes.

I stumbled back into an alley, clutching my wrist where she had dug her claw into it. I had to get to water, fast.

Running down the street, I ducked into the next fast food restaurant and headed straight for the bathroom. Luckily for me, there was no one else in there, so I washed the wound without being afraid of being accused of being a 'suicidal teenager.' God, I was being accused of 'being' so much lately.

I was a thief. I was a hobo. I was a suicidal teenager. I was poor. I was tired. I was dead. I was Aaron, whose mother had died when he was seven and had never met his father.

The only things that were untrue about these statements were that I was a suicidal teenager and that I was dead.

I paid for some medium fries and a soda with the last of my normal money. I had a feeling that they wouldn't accept the gold coins that appeared in my pockets at random times.

As I sat and ate, I looked out of the window. I noticed many things. I noticed that you couldn't see the stars above. I noticed that there weren't any trees here. I noticed the young waitress trying to flirt with me. I noticed the dirt on my hands. I noticed how tired I was.

No. I had to keep going forwards. There was no going back now. I had to go. I stood up, leaving the rest of my money under the plate and left the crappy little diner.

I quickly got to my hiding place, where I had also hidden my hunting equipment and stuff. It was a cave just outside Manhattan, and actually quite nice.

I smiled as I rounded the last corner that lead to my cave, but the smile was soon wiped off my face. The cave was in ruins. I sprinted down the path, and quickly pushed away some rubble that lay there. The weapons had miraculously survived, but that was the least of my concerns.

After another hour of frantic digging, I found what I was looking for. I found him. My little wolf. _Aniketos_. Unconquerable. He had been conquered. I felt hot tears running down my face as I left the remainders of the cave, carrying the cub's lifeless body.

I strapped my bow and arrows on my back, strapped the hunting knife to my waist, and started into the woods. At a huge oak tree, I lay Aniketos down. He looked so peaceful, lying there. The only thing that betrayed him was the bloody gash that ran down his stomach.

_Its okay, son. Its not your fault. You couldn't have saved him. _

"Who are you?" I shouted into the empty woods. I ran, stumbled and fell, scratching my knees badly and still crying, but not out of pain, but out of fury.

"Who the hell are you?" I screamed into nothingness. "I hate you," I muttered. "I hate you so much, whoever you are. You caused Aniketos's death! You caused mom's death! I hate you!"

I felt the energy draining out of me as a small storm formed itself around me. _What the hell? _Right before I passed out, I thought I saw a face in the clouds that were swirling around me, somewhat comforting and healing. The face was kind, and looked so old. It was my father's. Whoever he was.

_Its okay, son. You did fine. Aniketos died for you. Honour him. Its okay, son._

Even though I wanted to believe him, I couldn't. "I hate you," I muttered, before passing out on the cold forest floor, not noticing the grey shimmering light that was full of colors that all seemed to be tangled up that picked me up and carried me to the place I woke up the next morning.

-THREE DAYS LATER-

"Where the hell am I?" I asked, after opening my eyes to a strange yellow/tan light and a kid with blond hair and brown eyes looking down at me.

"Dude, the man's awake!" He called to someone else.

"Yeah, nice one, Jayden. Hey, dead man waking, what's your name?" The other guy asked me, coming over and looking down on me as well. He looked almost identical to the other one, Jayden.

"Aaron," I muttered.

"Okay, cool, Aaron. I'm Finn, and this is my brother, Jayden. But if you need anything, I'm the one to talk to, man. Jayden's crushing on this Aphrodite kid right now, Ella, I think, and he's not thinking of anything else," Finn said with a grin, which turned into a wince when Jayden punched his shoulder.

"Ey, don't listen to Finn. He only talks crap. And he's just a little jealous. I'm the one to come to if you need anything," Jayden said with a grin, which also turned into a wince when Finn punched his shoulder.

"Who exactly are you? Where am I? What happened?" I asked. I must've sounded like an idiot, but Jayden and Finn just looked at me sympathetically.

"Well, I'm Jayden, and this is my –unfortunately- twin brother, Finn. We're only the sons of Apollo, the most awesome god there is. And you, dear new camper, are in the infirmary with some scars on your knees and your left arm. We don't know what happened, but you were suddenly there on the border, and you've been out for three days. And whoa!" Jayden cried as he looked at me. "Dude, you have purple eyes. That's wicked!"

I grinned slightly. I've always wondered about my eyes. They're a dark shade of purple that looks dark blue to most people. I looked around to see my weapons lying on a table next to me. Finn and Jayden followed my gaze and yelped when they saw the weapons.

"Man, where did you get _these_? Bronze Wolf went out of business fifteen years ago. There was only one set left."

I looked at him.

"I got them at _Hellman's Hunting Equipment_," I said.

"Oh, yeah, good old Hellman. Hah, he was always dad's favourite along with Lee and Will," Jayden said, something bitter in his voice.

"On a brighter matter, Aaron, what do you know about the Greek gods?" Finn asked.

"I know what my mom taught me," I replied.

Finn was going to say something, but a curtain I hadn't even noticed was there was swiped aside to reveal an old guy in a wheelchair.

"Ah, I see our guest is awake," the old guy said.

Jayden and Finn told him the basics of what they found out about me, and then left me alone with the guy.

"So, Aaron, what do you know about the gods?" He asked.

"I know a fair amount. My mom was a historian who specialized in ancient Greek history."

"You say she _was_."

"Yeah, she _was_," I said, hoping he got the hint. Luckily, he did.

"Well, Aaron, you're the son of a god. We're not sure which one, but they will claim you. There is an oath that they keep, and it's that they have to claim their child by the age of thirteen."

"I'm almost fourteen," I mumbled.

The guy frowned.

"It seems we have a rather forgetful god here. But, no worries, you'll be claimed soon enough. Oh, yes, by the way, my name's Chiron."

"Like the horse dude?" I asked stupidly.

He shrugged. "Yes, as you put it, the horse dude."

And with that, he stepped out of his wheelchair and showed his white horses body.

"Well, Aaron, why don't you grab your things and we get you to the unclaimed cabin," Chiron said friendly.

As soon as I moved, I felt new energy soar through me. That's right, it soared through me. It wasn't like a surge. It sort of glided, like a falcon. Ugh, I had to find out what kind of drugs Jayden and Finn had injected into me. As I walked out of the house where the infirmary was, I looked around me, taking in the sight.

"Welcome to Camp Half Blood," Chiron said proudly.

I almost immediately felt at home, if it weren't for the shapeless figure of a man or woman standing by the lake, watching me.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so I noticed that in chapter one, the entire ad****dress wasn't there, so here is the first part: **

As the weeks dragged on, I found my routine: get up, have breakfast, spend the first half of the day getting humiliated by Ares kids in the arena, and then getting admired at the archery range. I think it's clear which I prefer.

I'd like to say that I had gotten pretty used to the weird stuff at camp. You know the Greek myth stuff and so. Apparently, that's all real! Well, just as I started actually feeling welcome there, things changed.

It was early when I woke up. It was too early. I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't. I decided to go into the woods and look for some monster.

I looked proudly at my knife and my arrow tips that I had re-forged to a mixture of celestial bronze and steel. It made a swirling pattern on the metal, which was kind of soothing to look at. Anyway, as I said, I went into the forest, looking for some monsters. That was my first mistake.

My second mistake was finding one. It was an old friend of mine: the Sphinx.

"Aaron Kallistos, you have escaped me one too many times," she growled, before pouncing.

Well, she never got the chance to hurt me. And to be honest, I have no clue what happened next. All I know is that colors started swirling around me, getting darker and darker, and finally, as if on command, they wrapped around the Sphinx, strangling her.

Her eyes got wide and her expression became shocked.

"No, no, it can't be. He never had a son. Impossib-" she started, but once again, she disintegrated into grey ash.

As the forces that had killed her dissolved into the air, I felt weak. I felt drained of energy, and all I wanted to do was go to sleep. My third mistake was not going to sleep right there. Instead, I stumbled back to camp, where I collapsed as soon as my foot landed on the grass.

I woke up later to yet another familiar sight: the infirmary.

"Ugh," I groaned. "Why am I here this time?"

"You were claimed, Aaron," a voice said beside me. I didn't recognize it. My hand instinctively went down to where my knife was supposed to be, but it wasn't. I looked around me, and found it just out of reach along with my other weapons on a bed next to me. I looked around at the person who had spoken.

He had black hair and green eyes, and looked like one of Poseidon's kids. The only thing that separated them was that he was about twenty.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked. Sorry for the language. Practically growing up without a parent does that to you.

"Make that 'who the Hades are you' and you're good to go. I am Percy Jackson," the man said calmly.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Checking up on you. Finn and Jayden had an archery lesson with Chiron, so I said I'd supervise you."

I grinned. Finn and Jayden had become good friends of mine over the time I was there.

I swallowed before making my fourth and final mistake of that day. "Who claimed me?"

Percy frowned. "No idea. Chiron has his suspicions, but he's not sharing."

I groaned. "When can I leave the infirmary?" I asked, hoping they wouldn't keep me there.

"Oh, when you're feeling better. Here, drink this, and you'll feel better," Percy said, handing me an iced drink.

I sipped it. It tasted of orange soda. Before I knew it, the glass was empty and I was feeling better. I jumped up, feeling refreshed and ready to go.

Percy smirked. "Well, that worked well. Come on, get your weapons. Chiron said to tell you to meet him at the archery range. And If I'm not mistaken, there is a capture the flag game tonight."

"What cabin should I go to?" I asked him.

He frowned again. "I'd say you stay in the unclaimed cabin until we know who your father is."

Damn, I was beginning to think I'd get my own cabin. Oh well.

At the archery range, Chiron was waiting for me. But when I asked him what was going on, he just told me to get some practice for the game later. I could tell that he and Percy and a blonde woman who was accompanying Percy were watching me the whole day.

Finally, the conch horn sounded, signalling the cabins to meet. The unclaimed cabin was with the Hephaestus, Poseidon, Hecate, Morpheus, Ares, Apollo and Nemesis cabins.

Our tactic was clear and good: five people were positioned in trees around the flag 'snipers,' with another five on the ground, protecting the flag from there.

A group of about seven people would be the diversion. They would take obvious paths and try to focus the other team on them.

Then smaller groups of three or four people would take less obvious paths to the flag, surround it, and finally take it. It was a good strategy.

Finn, Jayden and I were one of the groups who surrounded the flag. The Apollo cabin had supplied for special arrows that were now coming into action.

We saw the flag on a perfect round clearing. I grinned. This would be easy.

Jayden quickly and quietly climbed up a tree and shot an arrow at the tree across from him. In a matter of seconds, a tight web was connecting the five trees that encircled the clearing, so that no one could attack from above.

While Jayden was getting back down, Finn and I shot arrows at the other trees, so that webs equally tight and strong formed between all other trees, so that there was finally only one gap for us to get in and out.

The three people guarding the flag had noticed by now, and were trying to call for help, but the webs acted like sound barriers. We quickly took the three people hostage. About ten of us remained, while the rest of us, also about ten people started storming back to our territory.

I don't know how, but the flag was in my hands. The next few moments were blurry in my memory.

I remembered crossing the border. People shouting in joy. The flag changing colors. It was now black with colourful energy streaks, just like the energy clouds I could create. And then, I went blank. I don't remember. There was a sharp pain and I must've passed out for a few minutes. Damn, I've been passing out too much lately.

I woke up, still on the forest floor, but I must have been moved, because I could see the Long Island Sound. I was where the forest and the beach connected. I sat up. My weapons were still on me, and it was then that I noticed that I wasn't alone.

Next to me sat a man in a white hoodie and jeans. His hood was pulled over his head, so I couldn't see his face.

"Hello?" I asked.

The man turned to look at me. What I saw shocked me, I must say. The man had black skin; I mean literally, black skin. His eyes were a violent shade of violet (ooh, I like saying that), just like mine. His hair was also the same color as mine, but it was shorter and more neatly cut.

"Hello, Aaron. How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Slightly confused. Who are you?" I asked.

The man smirked. "Haven't you already figured that out by now?"

I thought, and then looked up, as it dawned on me. "Dad?" I tried.

The man nodded. "Yes. Aaron, I am your father. Oh, I do love these mortal movies, Star Battles, I think. They're so quotable."

"I think you mean Star Wars, dad. Sorry, but who are you exactly?" I sounded so stupid.

"Ah, yes, I was guessing that you'd ask that sooner or later. Go to your cabin and use the logic I put in your head. It will come to you."

"Where _is_ my cabin?"

"Behind cabins one and two. It is called 'cabin zero.'" My father, whoever he was, said.

"You came before the gods?" I asked, hoping to get some clues out of him.

"Oh yes, long before them, I was before the Titans and the Primordial gods. I am what came first."

And with that, he was gone.

And then I understood. My father was Chaos, the nothingness from what everything sprang.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ugh. Okay, so if the last chapter didn****'t show it: s q u i r r e l s 1 4 . d e v i a n t a r t . c o m ****/ # / d 2 x e 8 7 q (without the spaces)**

Okay, I'll admit it. Cabin zero is pretty awesome. The outside was a smooth black stone. Random colourful bursts of energy travelled across it, and when I touched it, the energy would also encircle me (I once left my hand there too long, and since then, my hair has had a few weak highlights).

The inside was full of posters of bands that I liked (you hear quite a bit when you live on the streets for seven years), and a rack of CDs went around the whole room, while one of them was playing in the stereo next to the bed. I must say, the bed was cool. It was basically a pull- out sofa with a couple of mattresses on top. I loved it.

On the opposite wall there was a dresser with lots of electronics on top. Curious, I walked over to it. On top of it was a note.

_Dear Aaron,_

_I know you live in the 21__st__ century, so I got you some 21__st__ ventures weapons. Use them wisely. Oh, yes, by the way, I manipulated the Mist around you. I figured you couldn't be around mortals with your weapons looking the way they do, so your bow and quiver look like a backpack and your knife is a cell phone holder. Enjoy!_

_-dad (Chaos) _

I picked up a cell phone and flipped it open. But what was in my hand was no longer a cell phone, but a switch blade dagger. I grinned as I clapped the knife back down and it turned into a cell phone. This would be fun.

Next thing I saw was an iPod. As I could see, there were several apps. One of them, however, was bigger than the others and always appeared in the center of the screen, no matter what page I was on. It was called 'iSword.' For a moment, I was filled with disbelief, but when I tapped the screen, the iPod morphed into a sword.

It was a beautifully crafted sword, with images engraved on the blade, and outlined in black stone against the silvery blade. I knew that it wasn't celestial bronze, but I felt like it was something equally powerful. I laughed quietly as I saw the 'home' button on the cross guard. I pressed it, and immediately, the sword shrank back into an iPod.

I put the iPod and the cell phone in my pockets and continued to look around the small cabin. In the corner opposite the dresser it looked like a tree had grown in the cabin. I had this sneaking suspicion that it had.

There was a hole in the tree about where my head was. I looked inside. Inside, there was a small peace of paper. I took it out and looked at it. It wasn't a peace of paper. It was a photo. It wasn't just any photo. It was me hugging a little wolf closely to my chest. The wolf was underfed and looked like death itself, but it looked so happy in my arms. It was the day I had found and saved my best friend. Aniketos. I felt the tears come again, but I swallowed them, and placed the photo back in the 'shrine.'

"Y'know, your dad was here. He spoke with Aniketos. The cub doesn't blame you for anything," I voice said behind me.

I spun around, and with speed I didn't know I had, I was pointing my bow with an arrow notched in it at the point where the voice came from.

"Whoa, chill. I live here. I'm Nikodemos, but you can call me Niko. Your dad thought you needed a friend. Personally, I think other mortals would do, but no, you have to have an animal friend," the squirrels said, raising its paws protectively.

I put the bow back on my back and the arrow back in my quiver. I sighed.

"I guess dad really cares then," I said to no one, but the squirrels, Niko, answered.

"Well, what to you think? Of course Chaos cares about you. Hey, I wouldn't tell the primordial gods this if you ever meet them, but I think you're his favourite son so far."

"Why thanks. A squirrel is telling me that I am my dad's favourite kid. My dad hardly knows me, and hasn't been here for me for fourteen years. Now tell me, why would he be proud of me? Why would I be his favourite son?" Damn, I was getting really angry now. "I can't read, much less sit still, I cause trouble wherever I go. What is there to be proud of?" I was shouting by now.

"You're loyal to your friends, you care about them, you know how to survive."

"Okay, that's three things. I could say thousand other things that are wrong with me!"

Niko looked like he was deep in thought, until he finally gave up. "Oh, alright. I'm hungry anyways. What's there to eat?"

I was confused momentarily, but then I grinned. I went over to the tree and picked a fruit. It was a lime. My favourite. Niko eagerly scampered over onto a branch and somehow found a couple of acorns.

Just when I was done with the lime and deciding where to put it, there came a knock from the door. Hastily throwing the rest of the lime in an empty pot of dirt, I raced over to the door and opened it. Outside stood Jayden and Finn with someone else I didn't recognize. They were grinning.

"Can we come in?" They asked, and without waiting for me to say yes, they stepped in. I finally saw who was standing behind them: a girl.

She was about twelve years old and had blonde hair that was maybe down to her shoulder, but she had it in two little messy ponytails on either side of her head. In the front, she had a dyed red streak. Her eyes were brown and they had a glint of pride in them.

She looked like a walking advertisement for Nike. She had on a purple 'Just Do It ™' shirt on, and dark blue jeans. Around her right upper arm was a captain's band that you could rip off and Velcro it back on. She even had on a Nike necklace. She looked like she did a lot of sports, and I had this feeling that she didn't lose very often.

"Who are you?" I asked, not being able to think of anything better to say.

"I am Nicolette, daughter of Nike, spirit of victory. And you are Aaron, son of Chaos, I know. Jayden and Finn dragged me here. They were saying something about a prophecy. I have no clue what they're talking about though."

Okay then.

"So, uh, what are you guys doing here?" I asked Finn and Jayden.

"Looking at your cabin, of course. And talking to you. Did you hear the rumours?" Finn said.

"No," I replied.

"Well, apparently, Chiron thinks we're the kids of the Great Prophecy. I don't think so though. Anyway, he's thinking of sending you on a quest. Seeing that we'll need seven half bloods, we brought Nici along. I hope you don't mind," Jayden said.

"No, I don't," I lied. Of course I minded having some random girl in my cabin.

"Hey, look, I don't want to be rue or anything, but I have to go," I said, heading towards the door. Jayden, Finn and Nicolette followed me. When they noticed I was heading to the Big House, they went to their own cabins. I was kind of glad about that.

"Ah, Aaron, perfect timing," Chiron said as I entered. "I want to send you on a quest. It is by request of the Olympians. I am afraid to say that you don't have a choice. Pick three people to go with you. You leave in the morning. Anything else you need to know, well, ask the oracle. She's in the third room to the right."

I nodded and headed in the direction that Chiron was pointing.

I knocked on the door. After hearing a quiet 'come in,' I opened the door.

The room looked like a normal room, except for the canvases full of painting standing everywhere.

"Hello, Aaron. Yes, I know its cliché, but I've been expecting you. Sit down and ask your question," a girl with frizzy red hair and startling green eyes said.

"Okay. Uh, what do I have to do?" I asked. The girl looked as if she entered a trance.

"_Four to head north,_

_Three to come back forth_

_Two to make the dive_

_One not to make it alive_"

The girl stopped talking in the raspy voice and looked confused for a moment. Then she turned her back to me and kept on working on the painting she had been working on when I came in. I figured I should go.

The lines of the prophecy didn't bother me much, except the last one. "One not to make it alive."


	5. Chapter 5

"_Four to head north,_

_Three to come back forth_

_Two to make the dive_

_One not to make it alive_"

The words still haunted me, even as Finn, Jayden, Nici and I were on the northbound train. We had no clue where we were headed, but Boston sounded pretty good. Why north? Why the numbers? Didn't the oracle know that half bloods didn't do numbers?

So we were on the train to Boston, and thankfully, we weren't attacked. Finn and Jayden built a mini darts game in the compartment while Nici was curled up on a seat next to me, sleeping. I practised forming energy clouds and using them. I wasn't very successful.

Everything went fine, until the conductor came in.

"I'll have to see your passports, kids," he said in a bored voice. What the Hades? Our passports? We were going to Boston, we didn't need any fricking passports.

"Uh, sir?" I asked.

"Yes, sonny?"

"Why do we need passports? We're going to Boston."

The man laughed. "I'm sorry, but we passed Boston hours ago. No, this train is headed for Québec. Now I'd like to see your passports please or I'll have to call the authorities."

I thought that was a bit harsh. I mean, we were only kids. Thankfully, Nici saved us. She looked the guy straight in the eye and said: "You have seen our passports. You will let us into Québec and personally make sure that we get out when we need to. But in between, you'll forget you ever saw us."

The man blinked, looked confused and then just walked away.

We all stared at Nici, who gave the simple explanation that her best friend was from the Hecate cabin and had taught her some tricks. Finn and Jayden seemed satisfied with that answer, but I wasn't. There was something in her voice that made it sound like there was something else.

She looked at me when she noticed I was still staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing. Do you have a weapon?" I asked, not being able to think of anything better to say. Nici scowled, and ripped her captain's band off. It immediately morphed into a huge bronze shield that was engraved with scenes of people winning different events.

"A gift from my mother," she explained. I nodded.

"Yes, but do you have a weapon?" I asked.

She looked like she wanted to hit me over the head with her shield.

"If you're talking about a sword or such, no, I don't. Why?"

I handed her the cell phone. "Now you do."

She looked at it, flipped it, and looked slightly surprised when she saw the switchblade. She grinned. "Nice. But what is this for?"

"We're friends, aren't we," I said, closing the matter.

When the train finally arrived in Québec, and mind you, it was one long train ride, it was two in the morning, and we decided to check into a motel. It was small and cheap, but we couldn't afford anything else.

Immediately after we checked in, Nici headed for the shower, so Finn, Jayden and I started flipping through the TV channels. After numerous French channels, we finally found an English news channel. What we saw and heard were two completely different things, but both were equally bad.

"_The rates of murder, rape, and freezing to death have been increasing rapidly in the Canadian cities of Montreal and Québec._"

A warning sign flashed on the screen that said that the following images held mature content (death).

All three of us gasped when we saw a huge bear- person rip apart a human. He had the head and torso of a bear, with long black hair, and the lower body of a man, who was wearing nothing but boxers. We looked at each other, rather unsettled.

The next image was of another giant, but he looked more civilized. He was wearing a suit, but his eyes betrayed him. They were blood red. He had a woman pinned up against the wall with a dagger at her temple. Luckily for us, both were still fully clothed. I don't know what the mortals saw, but I doubt it was this.

The last image was that of a hyperborean giant, jus he seemed bigger and stronger than others I had seen. He was wearing a white t-shirt and white pants, and his eyes were ice blue. In front of him lay a person who was so pale that for a moment I thought the hyperborean had sucked all the blood out of them. But then I saw that the body was actually covered in frost and icicles.

Finn, Jayden and I stared at each other in horror.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Nici got out of the shower, and while Finn and I got into a mock- sword fight, Jayden took his shower. When he came back out a few minutes later, we were still fighting. I finally managed to pin Finn's shirt to the wall with an arrow, but he just tore it off and dashed into the bathroom. I guess he didn't want Nici, who was standing there and _giggling_, seeing him, half naked. Jayden and I collapsed on the floor laughing so hard that we were crying.

When I had recovered from my laughing fit, I just lay down on a bed. I'd just take a shower in the morning. When I heard someone clearing their throat, I looked up to see Nici standing there.

"Where are we gonna sleep?" She asked, looking around herself uncomfortably.

"I, uh," I said wisely as I looked around the room. There were two double beds. There were no mattresses to put on the floor. "Uh…"

"Well, how about this: I get this bed, and you three can share the other one," she said matter-of-factly.

I raised my hands in protest, and Jayden started making excuses, until Nici cut us off.

"Fine, then one of you will share with me."

"I'm sleeping on my bed," Jayden said, and Finn shouted through the bathroom wall in agreement.

"Well, looks like we're sharing, Aaron," she said before climbing onto her side and closing her eyes.

I groaned in frustration. Why me? Finn grinned as he walked out of the bathroom.

"What, chicken of sleeping with a girl?" He asked.

His face was met by a pillow, thrown from Nici.

I grinned back at him. "What, would you rather sleep with her? We all know that you have a cru- aghh," I said, but was silenced by Nici's pillow, this time thrown by Finn. But Jayden and I were laughing too much to care, because Finn's face turned the color of Apollo's sacred cows.

After about ten minutes, when Jayden and I had somewhat stopped laughing, I took my t-shirt and jeans off and climbed onto the other side of the bed, and lay as far away from Nici as possible. I don't know, but sleeping in a bed with a girl next to me was not my idea of a good night.

After about three hours, I still couldn't sleep, mainly because there were whispers and shouts from the other bed, such as 'idiot' and 'shut up' and 'dude, you're so dead.' Along with that, Nici was talking in her sleep. Leaned in closer to hear what she was saying.

"No… dad… no, don't leave, no… dad…" I frowned. She was having a bad dream, and I noticed tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Hey, Nici, hey, wake up," I said, touching her shoulder.

She sat bolt up right and looked around, then noticed it was only me, and slumped again. We sat there a few minutes, me looking at her, her looking at the blankets.

Finally, she said in a voice barely audible "Thanks."

I nodded. I couldn't go back to sleep, so I put on my t-shirt and pants, that still were the same from when I had first came to camp, and headed out onto the wooden walkway that led past the other rooms and sat down.

I sat down and looked out at the stars, which I could see from here. The early morning was clear and cold. I shivered slightly. I sat there for about three hours, thinking of things like the quest, my life and my dad.

At about four in the morning, when the first rays of Apollo's chariot began to show on the horizon, I felt the presence of someone. They sat down next to me and sighed.

"I was having a bad dream," Nici said, in that same, barely audible voice. She looked at me before continuing. "I never knew my mom. My dad remarried when I was seven, and I hated his new wife. They had one kid, one little perfect child, and I was history for them. When I was eleven, my dad told me about who I was. He told me about Camp Half Blood, and that when I was thirteen, he'd take me there.

'It came so far that once, he forgot about me when we went to the beach, and I slept on the dunes that night. Then I remembered about what he had said about camp. I decided to go there. That was a year ago. About half a year ago, I got the call that he had had a heart attack. Chiron let me go to see him, but when I got there; his wife wouldn't let me in. I don't know what happened. I got really mad and somehow, she was suddenly silent, and she couldn't move. I went in to see my father. But he didn't want me there. He said it wasn't safe for me anymore. He said- he said my mom would be proud of me. Those were the last words I heard him say… his mother came to visit me that night, and took me safely back to camp," she finished, and I could see tears forming in the twelve year olds eyes again.

"His mother was Hecate, wasn't she?" I asked, surprised at how soft my voice sounded. This wasn't like me. She nodded.

"I'm scared, Aaron. You, Finn and Jayden are the only friends I have here, and I can't afford to lose any of you."

We were silent for a few minutes, before Nici spoke again. "What's your history?" She asked.

I frowned. I really didn't want to tell anyone, but something inside me told me that I could trust Nici.

"So," I started. "I was born in Brazil, in Manaus, to be exact. When I was four, my mom and I moved to Washington, DC, where I also started getting archery classes, also when I was four. We lived there for a while, but one day, this huge storm came up. I guess Zeus was feeling a bit angry that day. But my mom was struck by lightning. She died, and they tried to put me in foster care, but I ran away. That was when I was seven.

'I travelled up to Manhattan, where I lived for seven years. I had a little wolf, Aniketos, but he- he died when- when my cave crashed in. That's the day I came to camp."

Nici looked at me sympathetically, and I closed my eyes again. "You know," I said, "a part of the prophecy has already been fulfilled. Two parts, actually."

I told her about the three _Gigantes_, the Greek giants, that we had seen on TV. She frowned. When I asked her what was wrong, she said that those Gigantes hadn't been around for thousands of years. And even worse, they were some of the few immortal giants. We couldn't kill them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Yay! So, I hope that you can see the drawing (tell me what you think!) ****and I will be posting the others very soon… so, this chapter, you'll meet someone very interesting :)**

As soon as Finn and Jayden had gotten up, we had breakfast and left the hotel. That's when the day was boring. We wandered the streets of Québec, looking for a trail, a simple little detail that might lead us to the three Gigantes. Now comes the not-so-boring part of the day: a monster.

We had taken a wrong turn, and had ended up in some alley, which was never a good thing, especially if a Thracian Giant is waiting there for you.

"Ah, demigods. I haven't had those in a while. Come here, and let uncle Enceladus look at you."

"Enchiladas?" I asked.

"Argh. I had it when mortals name good food after me. No, I am Enceladus, and I'm going to tear you to pieces and eat you now," he said with an evil grin.

"Well that sounds lovely," I heard Nici mutter. I could barely suppress a small laugh.

As if on command, each of us drew our weapon. Finn and I notched arrows in our bows; while Nici pulled out the knife I had given her and held up her shield, and Jayden's sword and shield formed in his hands. We were ready to fight.

Enceladus attacked Jayden first, but Finn shot an arrow in his eye, so he was temporarily blinded. In that moment when Enceladus was so confused, Jayden and Nici started attacking weak spots, while Finn and I shot arrows at him. One of mine hit him right through the heart, but that merely hot him angrier. Finn managed to pierce Enceladus's other eye with another arrow, so that the giant was now fully blind.

"Pah, blindness. You are no match for me, puny little half bloods. You should know that we Thracian Gigantes anyway rely more on smell than anything else, don't you?" And with that, he lunged at me.

I thought I was the one in the prophecy that moment. I thought the last line was dedicated to me. I thought. I was so surprised that I couldn't even conjure up an energy field to protect me. What protected me from being torn to pieces and eaten was a wall of water.

Enceladus (enchiladas!), who had inhaled the water, was thrown back and started spluttering, when an animal jumped at him, making a noise somewhere between a hiss and a growl. The animal and Enceladus started fighting, but it was clear who would win: the animal. With one swift movement, Enceladus's head was off, and the Thracian giant fell to ashes. Well, sort of. The ashes spread and formed enchiladas. It was one of the most amazing things you've seen.

"Oh, really, he shouldn't have invented enchiladas. Now we have an enchilada problem," I heard a rough voice say.

I spun around, iSword forming in my hands. Enceladus had managed to throw my bow and arrow to the other end of the alley when he pushed me over.

"Whoa, relax man, I'm a friend," the guy standing there said.

The man was one of the strangest I had met so far. His skin was light blue, and his hair was seaweed green. It hung down to where his neck began, and he was growing a goatee on his chin.

"Umm, hello?" I asked.

"Hey, I'm Lee. Who're you guys?" The man asked.

"Hi, Lee. I'm Nici, and these are Aaron, Finn and Jayden," Nici said, handing me my bow and arrows. I hadn't even noticed that she had gone to get them. I said a quiet 'thanks,' and then noticed that iSword was still in my hands. I quickly pushed the 'home' button and it shrank back into an iPod. "You get that from your dad, uncle?" Lee asked. I looked up at him.

"Why are you calling me 'uncle'?" I asked.

"Well, judging by who my dad is, you're actually my great- uncle," Lee smirked.

"Wait…" I began. The blue skin, the green hair, it all made sense. "You're a son of Pontus, the primordial god of the sea!" I exclaimed.

"Hah, yeah, you could say it like that. Hmm, you really got your dad's way of knowing stuff," Lee said.

It was true. There were just some things I knew, and I didn't remember ever learning them.

"So, anyone up for burgers and soda? It's on me," Lee said, and before we had time to answer, he was walking down the alley, and turning into the next fast food restaurant.

Later, when we were well fed and somewhat happy, we went back to the motel. In front of it, Lee had to say goodbye though. Apparently, he had a wife, Neso, a neried, and if he wasn't home soon, she'd think he was dead.

Before he left, he beckoned me over to talk with him, alone. We stood in front of the door to our room, looking at the stars. It was cold, and I only had on a t-shirt.

"So, you really are a son of Chaos, aren't you?" Lee asked, but it was more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah…" I muttered.

"You don't sound too happy."

"Well, who would be? I mean, I have no siblings, and my dad was pretty much forgotten, I won't be accepted at camp, I know that, and now I'm going on and on about how horrible my life is. Ugh, I'm such and idiot," I ranted.

"Yeah, I know what that feels like. Back when I was a camper, people laughed at me for my skin and hair, and the fact that I was aging slower than they were. When I got claimed, things just started getting weirder. People stayed away from me. Then I started talking with the nerieds. I spent more and more time with them, until one day, I went with them. I met Neso, and we married and had a kid. You remind me a lot of her. Her name is Layla. She has the same hair as you do. I'm sure you two would get along well if she were older," Lee said.

"How old is she?" I asked. I could've slapped myself for asking that.

"Oh, she's seven. And I've got to go now, or Neso will be really worried. Goodnight, son of Chaos. I hope we'll meet again at some point. Oh, yeah, your dad says: 'to find what you're looking for, go to the eastern shore' whatever that means."

And with those words, Lee vanished, only leaving behind a pool of water. I wondered if I could do that as well. I concentrated on the energy in the air around me. I let it encircle me, making me part of the cycle. I let it fill me up, and I could feel the energy giving me new strength. I imagined the inside of the motel room, clearly in front of me.

What happened next was really weird. The energy seemed to whisper, and I felt my body travel. When I opened my eyes, I was standing next to my bed where Nici was already peacefully sleeping. Noticing how tired I was from energy travelling, I collapsed on the bed, not bothering about my clothes or weapons. I just needed some sleep.

"Hey, I think he's dead."

"Nah, he's just passed out."

"Will you let him sleep? He's not even really been going to bed."

"And you would know this?"

"Well, he does sleep next to me, so yeah, I know this."

"He sleeps next to or with or on top?"

A dull _thunk_ filled the room and the unmistakable sound of a body falling to the ground. I groaned and opened my eyes. Why did Apollo have to be so bright this morning? I guessed there was now one more Apollo junior running around.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"12:30, man. You overslept, big time," Finn said. I shot up, suddenly panicked.

"Well why the hell didn't you wake me?"

"Nici wouldn't let us. She said something about having to repower or something."

"Oh, yeah, that. Thanks, Nici. I'm guessing you saw that then?" I asked.

"Yeah. It was pretty amazing; how do you do that?" Nici sounded all exited, like a little kid on her birthday.

"I won't demonstrate, because, well, as you see, I passed out for 15 hours straight. The most I've ever really slept was five."

"Um, what exactly _were_ you doing?" Finn asked, seemingly slightly embarrassed by the whole conversation.

"He energy-travelled," Nici said. She has this way of saying things, and you'll know the matter's closed.

"Oh," was all Finn said.

After I had gotten up and gotten ready and Jayden had woken up (with a bucket of ice cold water- it was fun) from being knocked out by Nici, we headed out. I remembered Lee's previous words that my dad had told him to tell me.

"We're heading further north," I said. The others just nodded, knowing not to ask questions when I said something like that by now.

Even on the train, we all knew that something was wrong. The train was too cold, and every now and then, something would hiss or growl. I doubted that other people had snakes and bears as pets.

The train was going fast, almost too fast, because in just an hour, the conductor announced that we would reach our destiny, a small village on the cliffs in Newfoundland. As we got out, we felt the chill in the air get stronger, and I began to shiver. Hey, I only have on a t-shirt.

After exploring every single little thing in that town (it only took an hour), we found a dumpster. Now, I guess my dad could read my thoughts, because right on top what a white hoodie, just like the one he had had on when I met him first, and on the back there was a 'Ƴ,' (gamma), the Greek letter 'C,' on the back.

Nici, Finn and Jayden of course had packed sweaters.

Now, I had thought the day I got claimed was full of big mistakes. Turns out I was wrong. Because coming here, and going to the cliffs was the biggest mistake of my life.


	7. Chapter 7

We never should have come. I noticed that as soon as we got to the cliff. Why? Because of the oracle. Now I remembered the picture she had been painting when I walked in.

_It was a field of grass, and behind it were cliffs. It was a grey and stormy day, and a wave of monsters, with three giants in the middle that seemed to be commanding the whole thing, was battling one kid. Next to the kid was another one, lying on the grass, wounded. Another had fallen off the cliff and the last was jumping after them. _

We looked over onto a field of grass, and the other side was cliffs that left a steep fall into the ocean. We turned around to see a wave of monsters advancing on us, the three giants we had seen on TV in the middle, commanding them. We all knew that this was the part when the fates had control of our lives. And seemingly, they really had it in for one of us.

And then the monsters attacked.

With incredible speed, Jayden was attacking monsters back with his sword, and he was radiating a golden aura. As I looked over to Finn, who was shooting arrow after arrow, I noticed he was also glowing in a weird golden light. Apollo blessed them.

Nici was just swiping through monster after monster with the knife I had given her, and using her shield as a Frisbee, she knocked about ten monsters off their feet and most of them crumbled to grey sand.

I notched arrow after arrow in my bow, and, shooting with deadly accuracy I didn't know I had, I hit monster after monster.

All went fine (or as fine as it can be when you're battling about 1000 monsters and three immortal Gigantes), until I encountered an empousa. She smiled seductively and I was fooled for the one second it took her to take my bow and arrows and throw them off the cliff. I grabbed my hunting knife, but it wasn't there. Grinning evilly, the empousa held it up, and lashed at me with it. I don't remember getting out my iPod, but iSword appeared in my hands.

The empousa growled and started attacking me. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't very skilled with a knife, so I quickly disarmed her and she fell to dust, my knife falling on the grass where she had been.

"Mine," I couldn't resist saying as I picked it up and started battling a dracaenae.

Things started going downhill for us. Monsters upon monsters attacked us, and we were starting to tire. I looked over and saw Jayden fighting off four monsters at once. Within seconds, he had pulverized them all and only had a few minor scratches, but the next monsters were already advancing.

Finn had gotten out his hunting knives and was doing an impressive job of turning several hyperborean giants into ice.

I looked around for Nici, and what I saw wasn't good. She was advancing towards the giant with red eyes. I slowly but surely moved towards her through the monsters. By the time I got to her, she was only a few monsters away from the giant, when something stopped her. A boy of about her age was standing in front of her, looking at her with red eyes from under the hood pulled over his head.

His face was dark, but his eyes glowed red like the giant's behind him, and black hair hung in his face. He had on a white hoodie (man, those are becoming popular) and black jeans. He held a dagger in each hand.

"Hello, Nici. Long time, no see," he grinned evilly and then advanced.

It was amazing seeing Nici fight. Her knife whirled around her, blocking and attacking, and the other hand she used to punch every inch of body she could find. Even though I was fighting right next to her, I couldn't. Whenever I had the chance, another monster would come at me.

"Why are you doing this, Nathan?" I heard Nici shout to the boy she was fighting against.

"Well, what do you think? I'm fighting for justice! We children of giants and titans were never accepted at Camp Half Blood!" The boy, Nathan, shouted back, attacking more ferociously.

"Well, you're not helping yourself!" I shouted over at him.

"Well, son of Chaos, is it any different for you? Tell me. I'm listening. Are you accepted? Do you have any other friends than the sons of Apollo and Nici? Huh?"

I turned my back on him and concentrated on the gryphon that was trying to rip my head off. But I couldn't help thinking of what Nathan had said. It was true, even if I didn't like it. I frowned as I finished off the gryphon, because I had this feeling that something bad was going to happen. I just knew it. I turned around to see Nici holding her knife above her head against Nathan's daggers. She was on the verge of tears, and I saw her look into Nathan's eyes. She said something that I didn't hear, but Nathan looked confused.

He stumbled back, his daggers down at his sides, his arms limp. "Nici…" he mouthed, looked at her, and turned. And then he threw his daggers at the giant with red eyes. Now I noticed. The giant with red eyes was Nathan's father. He had convinced Nathan that he was fighting for justice.

The daggers hit the giant right in the heart, causing the giant to jump, trampling a few monsters. He then looked around and sneered.

"Foolish son."

Nathan was hit by lighting coming from the giant's hand, and fell down, dead. I heard Nici gasp. She retreated from the giant who didn't see her. I managed to stick with her. Then, I lost her. I looked around frantically, but I couldn't find her.

I glanced back at Finn and Jayden, who were fighting a hopeless battle against seven monsters. I ran towards them, but I was too late. An empousa lashed at Jayden, and he stumbled back. _Off the cliff_. Finn looked at the empousa in fury, and killed her with one blow to the head. I helped him finish off the other monster quite quickly, but it was hopeless.

"Aaron. Tell Nici… tell her," Finn shouted to me, glancing at a group of telkhines that were attacking Nici ferociously. Well, now I knew where she was. I looked back at Finn, and he jumped. I stared a moment, but then ran back to help Nici.

As always, I got there too late. A talkhine struck her with his sword and she crumpled to the floor, blood staining her shirt. In rage, I killed off the telkhines and started working at the other monsters, while Nici lay next to me, dying.

At the moment when I felt like I was really losing, they came. Hundreds and hundreds of water monsters and people came, led by a blue and green wolf. I noticed it was Lee.

The monsters on our side attacked the others, and gave me a few seconds to listen to Nici's last words.

"Forgive… Nathan… he was… you were… best friend… tell Finn… I lo- I liked…" And she was gone.

I was filled with a sudden rage. I would avenge Nici. I would kill the red eyed giant who killed my mother; I would honour Nathan and her.

I concentrated on the energy in the air around me. I concentrated on the energy from the people and monsters around me. I let it fill me; I let it take over me. I was strangling the red eyed giant, Porphyrion, I somehow knew. His eyes got wide as he got weaker and I hacked him to bits with iSword.

I did the same to the other giant, the one who was half bear and half man. Agrius let out a roar and then was sliced to bits by me.

Monsters upon monsters pounced on me, but the energy field around and in me protected me. Finally, after what seemed like hours, there wasn't a single monster left standing. I collapsed on the ground, bleeding and crying. The last thing I noticed was Lee, in his wolf shape, pick me up and set me on his back. I was dying and I knew it.


	8. Chapter 8

**So this is the final chapter!**

I woke up in the infirmary for the third time this summer. By now I was used to it. I looked up to see Finn sitting on a chair next to me, staring off into space.

"Hey," I said, and he looked down at me.

"Hey, you're alive," he replied in a calm voice. It wasn't like him. "Before Nici, you know, uh, did she say something?" He asked nervously.

I nodded. "Yeah. She- she said to tell you she liked you…" I trailed off into space.

Finn nodded. "Yeah. Well, Jayden's alive, as the prophecy said, and so are your weapons. They were floating on the water when we were there."

"What exactly happened to you two?" I asked.

"Well, I dove in after Jayden, and I think that Poseidon was feeling nice, because we were both still alive. We found your bow and arrows floating there. Once we had them, these white water horses appeared, and they took us back here. Chiron was worried sick, because he knew one of you had to die. We got an Iris Message from Lee, and he said that he was bringing you home. At that point, we knew that Nici had- had died. The Nike Cabin is waiting for us for the funeral, because we were her best friends."

I just nodded grimly. I knew Nici's death was my fault. I let her out of my eyes.

I stayed in the infirmary the rest of the day. I didn't go to dinner, and I didn't eat any of what Finn brought Jayden and me. Jayden also didn't touch it. He just lay there with his eyes closed, while I stared out of the window into the growing darkness. I could tell that Finn also hadn't eaten, because he just went to get the food, and he stayed there, sitting on the chair, absorbed in his own thoughts.

At about ten, when it was actually curfew, Chiron came in.

"They're waiting," he said gravely. The three of us got up and walked down towards the funeral pyre.

It was dark outside, and the stars and moon were dull. The fire cast an odd light on all of us, and our faces looked deathly pale.

The shroud was beautiful. It was light blue with white patterns on it. When I saw it up close for the first and last time, I saw that they were moments from Nici's life. I saw a small girl with a man and a woman, and they looked happy. I saw Nici sleeping on the dunes. I saw her in the sword arena, bashing an Ares kid to pulp. I saw her with Finn and Jayden, smiling. I saw her leaving with Finn, Jayden and Me, and she actually looked happy. I saw the two of us talking in front of the motel room. I guess Finn or Jayden saw that. I saw each of our faces. And I saw a strangely familiar face: Nathan.

The shroud was thrown into the fire, and with it, Nici's life. I could see Finn crying silently, along with several of Nici's siblings. I myself just felt regret. I could've saved her.

The shroud took its time to burn, and it was around midnight when Chiron sent us to our cabins.

I sound like a girl, but I cried myself to sleep that night. I cried like a baby. And Nathan was right. No one was there for me.

The next few days, I didn't leave my cabin, and from what Niko, the squirrel, told me, Finn and Jayden also hadn't been seen since we got back. It must have been a week before I left my cabin, but that was actually only to take a shower. I had eaten nothing but fruit from my tree in the last week and drunk nothing but orange juice from the oranges. When I walked out, I must've looked like Hades, because everyone was looking at me weirdly. I ignored them, went to the shower house, took a shower, came back out, but I didn't go to my cabin.

I went to the pavilion, where everyone was having dinner. My table, which was behind the Zeus and Hera tables, was empty, obviously. As I've already said, I'm an impulsive kid. I went to my table and stood on it, getting everyone's attention. When I was sure it was quiet, I started talking.

"Which of you remember Nathan, son of Porphyrion?" I asked them. Some nodded; others looked at the ground sheepishly. "How many of you remember him, really remember him. Don't lie!" I shouted into the round.

Almost everyone raised their hands.

"Well he died giving us this message. He died for justice. He was fighting so that children of titans and giants and whatnot are accepted among half bloods. I mean its half _bloods_. It doesn't specify. Nici also died, believing in Nathan. And now it's my turn to tell you Nathan's message. Listen to him, if you're not going to listen to me. We're all half bloods. And we will all be accepted, because we can't help who our parent is," I concluded, getting off the table and going back to my cabin.

What I heard next, startled me the most: clapping. Why were they fucking applauding me? I ignored them and went back to my cabin.

The next morning, I made my final decision. I packed my belongings, along with the knife that I had given Nici, and headed out, only making three stops in camp. The first one was at the Nike cabin. The girl who answered my knock opened the door, looked at me and the shut the door behind her, beckoning me to come with her. We went down to the lake, where I saw two other figures waiting. Finn and Jayden.

When we got there, I handed the girl the knife.

"This was a present from me to Nici. Keep it," I said, and then turned to Finn and Jayden. "I couldn't have done this without you guys," I murmured. Then, I turned around and walked away, not looking back, not thinking back, and not going back. At least, not now. I wanted to see the world. I wanted to really meet my dad. I wanted to visit Lee and his wife and daughter.

-THREE YEARS LATER-

I woke up to the sound of the birds outside, as I always do these days. I lived with my dad on Olympus, where I had built an exact replica of my cabin at camp half blood, where all half bloods were accepted now, and they weren't judged by who their parent was. I looked up at my ceiling, which showed the night sky. I watched the constellations of 'Victory' and 'Justice' slowly appear.

I walked outside and energy-travelled up to the throne room, where the council was awaiting me. I looked up at Zeus. "Well?" I asked.

Zeus cleared his throat.

"Well, as Chaos has opted not to have any more children for another couple million years, my foolish Olympian children, siblings and whatnot and I have decided to welcome you, Aaron, spirit of energy."

I smiled. Being the son of Chaos has its advantages.


End file.
